You Can Take Everything From Me 'Cause This Is All I Need
by luvtheheaven
Summary: What if Bart Bass did successfully kill Chuck in the second-to-last episode of the show? Blair, Nate, and Lily grieve his death the hardest. Eventual happy Dan/Blair (Dair) ending, with a side of a happy ending for the Serena/Nate (Serenate) ship and also some hints of a happy Rufus/Lily (Rufly) ending- plus friendships! Other characters like Eric, Jenny, Vanessa, etc. will appear.
1. Bart Bass Kills His Own Son

_**Author's Note:**__ The title for this fic comes from the 2013 Goo Goo Dolls song, "Rebel Beat", and that song as a whole is sort of my inspiration for this fic. I also made an AU Gossip Girl fanvideo set to the song… I had to make the video for a contest I was in, and that vid is actually what inspired me to write this fic._

_I will link to the fanvideo at the end of the fic, after the final chapter. ;) I'll do it at the very end and not here at the beginning because the vid contains spoilers. ;)_

_My fic takes place around the second-to-last episode of the series (6x09 "The Revengers"), and most of what happened leading up to that point is part of the canon for my fic. However, __**the fic deviates from the canon**__ of the show__** at a few key points**__._

_**#1)**__ In this fic's universe, Dan & Blair never dated. The events in the season 5 Valentine's Day episode (5x15 "Crazy, Cupid, Love") didn't quite transpire and definitely not 5x16/5x17. Dan & Blair never had any of those kisses from 5x15 onwards in the show. Their history is just that Dan remains feeling unrequited love for Blair and she thinks of him as only a friend. (The fic is pro-Dair, so don't worry, she will change her mind lol.)_

_Also… Dan's season 6 journey was probably a bit different because of the changes with what I'm saying didn't happen between him and Blair. :P_

_For instance, in my fic he's still in the Brooklyn apartment, living with Rufus (and has been ever since Lily & Rufus split up). It isn't quite true to season 6 but just go with it. Also I don't think he'd be writing those exposés nor be in contact with Georgina in quite the same way. He's the Dan we knew and loved from seasons 1-5 but now, as far as all of the other characters are concerned, in a season 6 context._

_**#2)**__ In this fic's universe, Dan was never Gossip Girl. Don't worry about the identity of Gossip Girl. For all intents and purposes, I neither know nor care. All I know is it wasn't any of the main characters we learned to know and love over the course of the show. _

_And finally_

_**#3)**__ Chuck & Blair actually did have sex in season 6. In my new universe, let's say they had frequent sex and their whole deal was just that they wouldn't publicly be happy together nor would they get married till Bart Bass was taken down, instead of the deal being "no sex". So they had to keep things super private and had to delay the wedding they were both hoping to have. You'll understand why when you read the chapter below. ;) _

_Finally, I would like to thank lilybarthes & you-define-beauty (FYI those are their tumblr names) for their help as betas for this fic. ;) They both proofread for me and helped a lot in various ways, helping me to make this fic the best it could be. ;)_

_Okay… I think that's all you need to know for now. Please enjoy my fic!_

* * *

_**You Can Take Everything From Me... 'Cause This Is All I Need**_

Chapter 1: "Bart Bass Kills His Own Son"

Blair had been in denial ever since she'd heard the news that a Bass Industries airplane went off the radar. Chuck had made a deal with his father, so sure that Bart would never harm his own son. The city had been honoring him as Man of the Year and she had been there when she'd noticed a television reporter mentioning the Bass name. She'd seen Bart's emotionless face and she'd heard the casual way he'd commented about how he'd hoped that wasn't the plane Chuck was on. Blair had looked at him in horror, realizing, as Bart stared into her eyes, that he was actually claiming credit for whatever tragic event had caused the plane to disappear into thin air. But she hadn't fully let it sink in. She had managed to convince herself that Chuck wasn't dead – that unless they actually found his body, he might merely be kidnapped or in hiding or any of a variety of other things. He was missing, but not actually gone permanently.

It had only been two days since that horrible evening, but Blair missed her fiancé terribly. She was just waiting for confirmation that he was okay. Sure, everyone around her was suspecting the worst had happened, but Blair knew that if someone as evil as Bart Bass could come back from the dead, Chuck could also surprise them all. Blair spent a lot of time with Serena and Nate that week, continuing to try to figure out a way to get the FBI to put Bart in federal prison. They worked hard, hoping to find a new way to trick him into a confession since their previous plan had failed miserably. Serena and Nate were worried about Chuck too, and neither one wanted to bring up the scary fact that he might truly be gone forever. Chuck had been Nate's best friend for his entire life, and he'd been a pretty good friend and later step-brother to Serena as well. They wanted to believe the best and follow Blair's example. Maybe he was alive but unable to communicate that fact.

Lily was in her penthouse apartment, sitting alone. Her daughter had been spending all of her time with Blair over the past couple of days. Serena didn't even come home to sleep, but Lily wasn't worried. She knew how hard Blair was taking Chuck's disappearance and she was just glad her daughter was such a great friend. Eric, of course, was off at college, and Lily didn't want to worry him with the news about Chuck until they knew more. She hoped her son was still completely unaware that anything might be wrong. Her husband, Bart, was out doing business-related things, or so he claimed. She really didn't care what he was doing – she was just grateful he wasn't home. She'd realized she was wrong to ever believe Bart Bass was a good guy, and she was actually afraid of him as of late. She felt bad for ever doubting Chuck's word and now she just desperately wished she could tell him how sorry she was.

Her phone rang, so she answered it.

"Hello?"

"Hello. Is this Lily Van der Woodsen?"

She thought about it. Her name was still legally Lily Bass, but she wished she could revert back to her children's surname. She didn't want to be Bart Bass' wife anymore.

"Yes, this is she. May I ask who's calling?" she asked politely.

"This is Search and Rescue."

Lily tensed up.

"We are very sorry to have to inform you that Charles Bass' body was found. He is dead. He kept his identification and emergency contact information in waterproof sleeves, so we knew he'd want us to call you first."

Lily didn't reply. She was frozen, barely able to maintain a grip on her cell phone, let alone say anything. She loved Chuck like a son. He couldn't be dead. Children don't die before their parents do. That just wasn't how the world worked. She realized someone on the other end of the line was still talking.

"Are you still there, ma'am?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I…" she trailed off.

"That's alright. We understand how difficult this news must be. We do need someone to come down to identify the body, however. Just so that we can be completely sure it's Charles and not someone else. You can come… or it can be anyone who knew him well. Can you arrange that?"

"Uh…." She was barely able to comprehend what they were asking. Identify his body? The thought made her feel physically sick. "Yes, I can arrange that. Tell me where," she replied, finding a pen and paper. She wrote down the address and was told to try, if possible, to make it there within 24 hours.

She sank back into the couch cushions. Chuck was dead.

* * *

Serena's phone vibrated.

"Oh. It's my mom," she explained to Nate and Blair, leaving them at Blair's bed, which they had been using as a table as they continued to devise their plan to get Bart Bass arrested. She stood up and answered the call.

"Serena, honey," Lily said softly, trying to keep her composure for the sake of her daughter. "I… I just got a phone call from Search and Rescue. They… they found Chuck." Serena didn't like the tone of her mom's voice. It didn't sound like the Chuck they found was alive and well. "Actually," Lily started to clarify, "they found what they believe to be his body."

"Oh my God," Serena breathed.

Nate and Blair turned their heads toward her, alarmed by the seriousness of Serena's reaction.

"Sweetie, I… I can't do it alone. They want me to..." she hesitated, then quickly blurted out, "identify the body."

Blair stood up and walked toward her best friend who now seemed to be frozen in shock.

"Serena? What is it?" she asked quietly, trying not to be too rude as she interrupted the phone call.

"Can you please come with me?" Lily asked desperately. Serena could tell her mother was on the verge of tears.

"Um, yeah. I can do that," Serena answered quietly, ignoring Blair. She hung up the phone slowly. She was letting the news sink in, not even realizing quite yet that she'd need to tell her two closest friends news that would completely break their hearts.

"Serena…?" Nate said slowly, realizing just how upset she was. He joined the girls on the other side of the room, and reached out a hand to touch her arm, instinctively wanting to comfort her. At his touch, she jerked her head up and let her gaze reach his. She decided to get the news out quickly, because there was no good way to break this to either of them.

"They found Chuck's body. My mom wants me to go and help her identify it and confirm it's really him."

Nate's eyes went wide and he quickly took his hand away from its comforting position on Serena's arm. She then tried to give Blair a hug, but Blair chose to back away from both of them, heading toward her bed.

"He's really dead?" Nate asked incredulously, his voice breaking a bit.

Serena nodded as Blair sat down on her bedspread. Nate looked down at the ground. Everyone felt like the air had been sucked out of the room. A silent tear fell down Nate's cheek and when he blinked, more started to fall. Serena leaned in to hug him and while still holding him in her arms, she looked over at Blair, who seemed to be staring off into space, her mind a million miles away.

* * *

About twenty-four hours later, Rufus and Dan were finishing up a nice but quiet meal together when the phone rang. Rufus answered it.

"It's your sister!" he informed Dan, though Dan could have guessed it was Jenny from his dad's cheerful tone. He knew how much Rufus loved and missed Jenny. Both he and his father sometimes wished she was still here with them in New York.

Dan noticed his father's face go from smiling to somber very quickly, and he waited with bated breath to hear what his dad might say next.

"Oh no," he said very seriously.

Dan was sure something was horribly wrong now, and he was starting to get worried that Jenny was hurt.

"How are they all taking it?" Rufus continued. After a brief pause, he replied again. "I can only imagine."

Dan was just confused now and tried to be patient. As soon as his dad hung up the phone, he'd find out what was going on.

Sure enough, Rufus put the receiver back in its console and then immediately turned to look at Dan.

"So Jenny still keeps in touch with Eric, as you know," Rufus started. "And well… he just informed her that Chuck Bass is dead."

"What?!" Dan almost yelped out in surprise.

"I know, I can hardly believe it myself," Rufus replied.

"How… did he… you know? What happened?" Dan asked.

"Eric told Jenny that Serena and her friends all think Bart Bass murdered him, actually."

Dan gaped at his father.

"But for now," Rufus added, "it has been treated as a tragic accident. It was a plane crash."

Dan's mind jumped to Blair. He knew how much Blair loved Chuck. He had resented Chuck for getting the girl, but he had never wished Chuck dead. He knew how happy Blair was when she was with him, as much as it pained him to see it. He wanted Blair, but more than anything he wanted her to be happy. He had been there the previous year when Chuck had almost died in the limo accident and Blair had been a mess. He would never have wished for Chuck to actually die, especially not when it would cause the woman he loved so much pain. He wondered how she was coping.

Rufus, meanwhile, was worried about Lily. He knew how much Lily had cared for Chuck. He'd never actually gotten to know Chuck all that well, and he had never felt nearly as close to his own step-children, Serena and Eric, but they always still had their mother. Chuck had no one except Lily, and he could understand why the two of them had bonded. He was also very worried about the Bart Bass of it all. If what Jenny had relayed to him was true, and Bart Bass was getting away with murder, then Lily was in danger. Lily had treated him in a way he had not been willing to forgive, and he was trying to move on, but deep down he still loved her. He couldn't just stand by and let her stay in harm's way.

* * *

Blair looked at the calendar on her bedroom wall and thought about the date. Her chest physically hurt with grief. It felt like her heart was literally broken. Chuck was gone. Gone. And there was no way she'd ever see him again. It had only been about thirty-six hours since she'd heard the news, and even less since Serena and her mother had officially identified the body and confirmed the worst. She kept staring at the calendar.

She realized she was late. Her period should have arrived the day Chuck had left for Moscow - the day when he died. She had been so distracted by all of the craziness on that day, and every day since, that she hadn't even realized it until this moment now, lying in bed, staring at the calendar. She wasn't too worried though. Her cycle tended to become irregular whenever she was overly stressed. That was why she'd had a pregnancy scare five years ago – she had been cheating on Nate with Chuck and the whole thing had stressed her out so much that her period didn't come on schedule. And now… what could be more stressful than everything that had happened with Bart Bass that had led up to Chuck's death? Of course her body would be reacting to that.

She didn't want to be pregnant with Chuck's baby – at least not if Chuck wasn't going to be around to raise it with her. She wasn't sure she was ready to be pregnant again; it was too soon after her miscarriage. She had been heartbroken over the death of her and Louis' unborn child. She didn't want to face the risk of that again so soon. That was _why_ she had gone on the pill and had been being so careful to take it every single day. She felt fairly confident that she hadn't missed a day. However, as she thought about it more, she wasn't 100% sure that she had never missed a day. She thought back, trying to remember each morning, and the memories became painful as something Chuck-related seeped its way into each and every one.

As she lay there, missing Chuck, she realized a part of her _did_ want to be pregnant with Chuck's baby. She had really wanted a baby last year. Being pregnant again now wouldn't be that bad, would it? Despite all the reasons she _didn't_ want that, she was desperate to hold onto him. To find a way he would not really be dead, or at least not completely. If they had actually conceived a baby before his death, Chuck could live on through their child. She smiled briefly at the thought.


	2. Dan Joins the Effort

_Wow! About 13 different people either reviewed Chapter 1 or followed my story! A few of those 13 people even did both, which results in me already having 2 favorites, 8 follows, and 8 reviews within less than a week of the first chapter being posted. You guys are the absolute best._

_I hope I don't disappoint you. I'll try my best to make this story enjoyable. And I'll try to update it as frequently as possible as well. I struggled a bit with what to do with this chapter. It ended but being more of a transition chapter. Hopefully as the fic goes on it'll get a bit easier for me to write._

_Thank you again to lilybarthes & you-define-beauty. Their hard work as my betas really helps make this story the best it could possibly be._

* * *

Chapter 2: "Dan Joins the Effort"

Chuck's funeral was being planned for a week after he'd been officially declared dead. Lily wanted to make sure she had time to properly plan the most beautiful farewell she could. While Lily was busy making funeral arrangements, Serena and Nate decided to put all of their energy into bringing down Bart. Now that it seemed clear he had sabotaged Chuck's plane, they hoped he'd been sloppy enough to leave behind a trace of evidence.

Serena wasn't sure how dangerous it would be to plan Bart Bass' takedown in the same apartment that he too resided in. She considered going elsewhere to do it – they had, after all, been doing it all at Blair's for a little while and that had certainly felt safer. Serena was still living at home, meaning she slept in a bedroom directly below her mother and that man. She was very worried about her mother still being married to him. When she suggested to Nate that he come over to her place for a continuation of their efforts, she expected him to most likely turn her down, either because he wouldn't be up for it, due to his own grief, or because of the fact that it was just a bad idea to do it _there_. So, of course, she was surprised to find him all too eager to accept her offer and come over to her place. She realized he most likely wanted to escape the place where he had countless memories of his roommate.

They knew all of their scheming had to be done as secretively as possible, so they made sure to check for hidden cameras or bugs or anything else an evil genius might have up his sleeve. It would have probably felt silly, checking corners of ceilings and looking on the undersides of lamps, but their friend's plane had all too recently been sabotaged. So they did everything with grave concern, not sure anymore what Bart Bass might be capable of. Finding nothing, they proceeded to work hard while he was away from home, and when he got back that evening, they hid their findings away into a safe to which only Serena knew the password.

* * *

Meanwhile, in Brooklyn, Dan found himself also wanting to help take down Bart Bass, if the man really was getting away with murder. He wasn't sure who to call. Serena? Nate? Blair. His mind just kept going to her. He wanted to be there for her, do something to help. He asked his father what he'd done for Lily when they'd all thought Bart Bass had died four years prior.

"Oh, I don't know," Rufus answered, lying through his teeth because in truth, he remembered every second vividly. "It was a bit of a different situation," he added. He left out all of the thoughts running through his mind about _how _their situations were so very different, though.

His history with Lily was a lot more complicated than Dan's history with Blair. At the time, Lily had been planning to actually leave Bart, and one could argue that she'd been having an emotional affair with Rufus. Dan was unaware of all that, and Rufus didn't want his son to know. He didn't want to set a bad example, or make it seem like cheating was acceptable in some circumstances, or to some degree. Plus, Lily had never wanted anyone to know that she was planning on leaving her husband. He had been so angry with Lily lately that he could have easily told the world things that he was well aware she didn't want anyone to know, but now that Chuck was gone, his anger was fading and was being replaced by sympathy. He could only imagine what she was going through right now.

Rufus knew his son had feelings for Blair that were more than just friendship, but he also knew they had never been acted upon in the past, and so things were already simpler between them than anything between himself and Lily had ever been. Rufus didn't know all of the details, but he figured Blair was not planning to leave Chuck and so Blair's feelings would not be even remotely similar to what Lily's were.

* * *

Dorota brought some food into Blair's room on a tray.

"Just leave it," Blair said listlessly, barely lifting her arm off her bed enough to motion toward her nightstand.

"Miss Blair," Dorota replied, concern evident in her tone, "please sit up and take bite. For me. Just one bite."

"I'm not hungry," Blair quietly protested. She turned away from her maid.

"Do you want me get your mother?" she asked. "Mrs. Eleanor worried too."

"No," Blair answered. "Tell her I'm fine. I just want to be alone."

Dorota was well aware that she was not fine. But she didn't know what to do, so she left her and let her be, just as she requested.

* * *

Dan called Blair's phone, but she didn't pick up. He then decided to send her a text, which she could read whenever.

_I'm here if you need me. Just let me know if there's anything I can do._

After sending that text, he proceeded to call Serena.

"Hello?" she answered. She'd seen the caller-ID. She knew who it was.

"Hi," he replied.

"I… I heard about Chuck," he said simply, unsure of how to continue. A part of him wished that Serena, Nate, or Blair had actually told him themselves. But he was sure they were all busy with a variety of other things, and since Dan and Chuck had never been best buds, he couldn't blame them for not thinking of him right away.

"Yeah," Serena said somberly.

After a bit of a pause, Dan continued, "I also heard that… there is some speculation that, um… his father is actually responsible?" He asked it as a question, waiting for confirmation.

"Yeah, Nate and I are actually working on trying to prove that right now. You're welcome to come over to my place if you want to help. Three brains will be better than two."

Dan couldn't help but take note of the fact that Blair was not with them. He hoped she was okay.

"Yeah, sure. I'd love to do whatever I can. I'll be right over."

* * *

Serena had cried a bit over Chuck over the course of the week, mainly during the moments when she was alone, right before sleep. She was slowly but surely letting it sink in that the young man she'd grown up with was really gone. She'd had good times with him, and he'd sometimes been there for her in ways no one else was. She also felt so sorry for Blair. For the entire week, the girl remained curled up in her bedroom, insisting that Dorota not let anyone in to see her, not even her best friend. Serena couldn't imagine what losing the love of your life would be like, especially when they were both still so young. Blair and Chuck's life together was supposed to be beginning. Blair's marriage to Louis had been a disaster, but this time with Chuck was supposed to be her chance to get it right. Serena hoped at least Dorota was providing some comfort for Blair. She didn't want her friend to feel alone.

Since Blair wasn't letting Serena in anyway, Serena decided to stay home and keep an eye on her mother. She especially wanted to be around when Bart was there with Lily, just in case that creepy husband of hers did anything at all worrisome. Dan spent time with Serena and Nate during the day, but even with three intelligent individuals working as hard as they could, very little progress was made. Lily managed to keep surprisingly busy in the next room every day. She made lists and argued on the phone about flowers and catering and locations. When Bart returned home and the scheming had to be put on hold, Dan would say his goodbyes and return to his father. Nate, however, chose to stay over for dinner every night that week. Lily would ask her daughter to just order in whatever she and her friend felt like having. Lily's lack of appetite worried Serena. She made sure her mother ate a little every evening.

* * *

Eric had booked a flight back into New York so that he'd arrive the day before the scheduled funeral service. He wished to properly say goodbye to his stepbrother. Serena and Lily were being driven to the airport together. They wanted to be there as soon as Eric arrived. By this point, all of the arrangements had been made and there was nothing left for Lily to do at home anyway.

Lily had been in shock ever since she'd gotten the phone call about Chuck. She couldn't get the image out of her head from when she'd gone with her daughter to identify him. And at night when Bart would come home and share her bed, all of her feelings of grief were overpowered by fear. If her husband had really killed his own son, there was no telling what kind of danger she might be in. She observed him closely for any hints as to if he really was a murderer or not. All she was able to discern was that he was not getting very emotional over the death of his only child. He claimed to be sad, but the way he carried on with going to work every day and eating and sleeping on a normal schedule made Lily _very _uncomfortable. What kind of person loses a child and is also able to go on living as if nothing had happened? She was immensely grateful for all of the distractions making the funeral arrangements had provided, and worried that now that they were completed, grief might overpower her.

The ride to the airport was in complete silence. Both Serena and Lily felt that trivial conversation was inappropriate at a time like this. They both tried to hold on to the positive fact that they'd be seeing Eric again, despite the tragic circumstances that led to their reunion.

* * *

Dan invited Nate over to his Brooklyn apartment while Lily and Serena were busy that day. Dan noticed, as he opened the door to let him in, that Nate had dark circles under his eyes. The poor guy must have been having a tough time sleeping. They tried to figure out if there was anything left they hadn't thought of in terms of a way to get Bart to incriminate himself, perhaps the next day at his own son's funeral. Dan had noticed over the course of the past few days when they'd been working together how _careful _Nate was to never actually mention his best friend's name. If Chuck came up in conversation, his name was skirted around in favor of a "he" or "him" weighted with a tone that cleared up any potential ambiguity. Dan followed suit, afraid that if he messed up, he might cause some kind of emotional explosion from which there would be no turning back. So far, Nate had been acting surprisingly… normal, considering everything. He was putting a bit too much effort into this Bart Bass thing, though, and Dan knew that once they gave up on what seemed to be a pointless mission, Nate would have nothing left to cling onto.

They came up with an idea that just might work, but they'd need Lily's cooperation to do it right. They couldn't quite imagine anyone else being able to pull it off. It'd involve secretly recording what Bart said to Lily at the funeral right after she said just the right words to trigger him into a confession. If the plan backfired, Lily would be in danger, though. Much more danger than she already was in. They weren't sure if it was fair to her to put her in that position.

"Well, how about if she were to come over to my place after the funeral," Nate suggested. "There's a free bed, now that… _he's_ not using it…"

"And it'd be safer than sleeping right next to Bart," Dan finished for him. "Yeah, that sounds like a great idea. Especially since I couldn't invite her over here," he added, thinking about his dad.

"Security is much better at The Empire anyway,' Nate mentioned. "We can make sure they don't let Bart anywhere near us."

Dan liked the idea, and satisfied that they actually had a plan that _just might _work to get Bart behind bars like he deserved, they knew the next step was to see if they could get Lily on board.

* * *

Blair was getting herself emotionally prepared for Chuck's funeral. It was less than a day away now. She'd need to pull herself together enough to be out in public for the first time since she'd heard the devastating news. She'd need to keep her composure enough to be able to spend the entire day with various friends and family members. She'd need to be able to face Bart Bass, who undoubtedly would be there at his own son's funeral. She wasn't sure if she could handle any of it, but she knew she didn't have a choice.

She was trying to decide what to wear. She wanted to feel beautiful, especially if Chuck was going to be looking down on her from heaven on this special day meant specifically to honor him. She wasn't sure what she believed exactly, but she did believe in God, and with Chuck gone she just knew there had to be a heaven. She'd prayed to God after the car accident last year and he had answered her prayer. Him taking away Chuck so soon after made her feel unsure about everything, but she figured He must have His reasons. Maybe Chuck was always meant to die young, Blair had stopped him from committing suicide, and then last year God extended his life briefly because Blair had asked, but now the time had come and there was no escaping death for him.

Blair only had so many black outfits to choose from, and she did want to wear black. It would feel wrong to not be traditional. She looked at her cell phone and considered calling Serena for help. Her best friend always knew how to help with any type of fashion crisis. But calling Serena… she didn't want to talk to her yet. Serena had been trying to get in touch with her all week, and Blair had been avoiding her. To finally talk to her but only about clothes would feel… odd.

A slight wave of nausea came over her and she tried to ignore it. However, just like when she'd been pregnant with Louis' child, she found the disgusting and uncontrollable need to vomit to be nature's way of telling her she couldn't just ignore this any longer. She hadn't even taken a test, but she knew she was pregnant. She ran into the bathroom, trying not to think about what it meant. She didn't want to deal with it yet. For now, she wanted to pretend she wasn't pregnant.

She cleaned her face off and took a sip of water, then looked back through the text messages on her phone. The one from Dan stood out to her. Serena had texted her too many times and while Blair appreciated her friend's concern, it also felt a bit suffocating. Dan had texted her just the once. He was being patient, and giving her the chance to reply when she was ready. She looked in the mirror and thought, once again, about what she should wear to the funeral. She thought about her miscarriage from last year and how she'd felt looking in the mirror when they took in her wedding dress. Dan had shown up then, and it had been so comforting. Dan had been the first person she'd told when she was pregnant before. Dan was always there for her.

She looked at his text again, and decided it was time to reply.


	3. The Plan

_**Author's Note: **__So people were criticizing me – in ways that I felt were quite harsh – in the reviews after I posted the previous chapter. Not for bad writing, but for bad plot choices. It was a bit discouraging, to be honest. While obviously I welcome both good and bad reviews, like any respectable writer, and I'd like to know your honest thoughts… I want Dan & Blair fans to like my fic. I adore Dair and in the end I plan to give them a happy ending. But it seems that a large number of Dair fans, who are my target audience, want me to treat Chuck like the abusive psychopath they believe he fully was. They don't want any characters, especially not Blair who they do love, mourning him. But my plans for my fic are to yes, have Chuck's life be missed and even honored by pretty much everyone. Especially Blair, who in the show (as far as I interpret it), truly loved him. She was in love with him for a large portion of the show and I'm picking up right around the end of the series. I think Chuck's character basically was redeemed by the end of the show, and I am going to continue from that with my fic. It actually__** is**__ sad that Chuck is dead. However, don't worry – I'm not going to write that the __**only **__reason Blair will be end up with Dan is that she can't be with Chuck. He's not her consolation prize. I mean, I ship Dair and I'd choose Dan over Chuck if I were Blair. I'm going to try to write a story that satisfies you Dan/Blair shippers, as well as any Nate/Serena or Rufus/Lily fans who drop by._

_Thank you for your feedback, and I hope in the future you enjoy my fic more._

_I'm so sorry for the delay with this chapter. I know it's been over a month. Which is pretty much completely unfair to all of you. But here it is now. I truly hope you all enjoy it. I am pretty unsure about a lot of it, and definitely feel free to continue being honest about what you do and don't like. I appreciate any/all reviews. I do. Despite the fact that I was feeling a little frustrated by some of the negative ones I've received, I ask that you please still leave me your thoughts in a review once you finish reading._

_Also, this chapter was not beta-ed. So if you catch any glaring errors, __such as a failure in me getting Gossip Girl canon backstory correct or a problem in my grammar/spelling/whatever_, please let me know. I don't like posting things un-betaed but I don't think my work is that bad, even unedited. In fact, I did go through and try my hardest to proofread my own work this time, editing it along the way.

* * *

Chapter 3: "The Plan"

"So, Eric, how have your classes been going?" Serena asked, wanting to make small talk to pass the time. "Or if that's boring, you can tell us about dorm life."

Lily and her two children were sitting in somber awkwardness, in the living room of their apartment. Serena didn't think she'd missed out on anything by turning down Brown, but she hoped her younger brother was enjoying his time there.

"Classes are anything but boring," he answered. "They're quite difficult, but fascinating. I particularly like my literature classes. There are some books you've never heard of that they're having us read, and I think they should be just as well known as the classics." He tried to sound cheerful, but the women in the room could hear how forced it was. He had always been such a sensitive soul, and Chuck's death had clearly hit him hard.

"That's nice," Lily answered, also trying to push past her sadness and smile at him.

"So have you decided on a major yet?" Serena asked, knowing he had entered college as one of the many 'Undeclared'.

"Um…" he seemed a bit embarrassed with his choice. "Yes. English."

"Oh," Serena answered without judgment. She looked over at her mother, who seemed lost in thought.

"I know it's a lame move, career-wise," Eric started to defend, despite no one attacking him. "But I don't care about making tons of money. I don't need to live on the Upper East Side my whole life. I think I could be happy settling down with a guy in a small town, teaching English in a _public_ school," he explained, emphasizing how little the crazy rich lifestyle he had been raised into mattered to him.

Before Serena or Lily had a chance to respond, Lily's phone started ringing with a muffled sound. She looked around for her pocketbook. Finding it, she opened the bag and reached in, then answered it quickly.

"Hello?"

Serena and Eric looked at one another, wondering who might be calling. Lily gave them no hints.

"Oh, hi," she said, her tone making it clear that she was glad to hear the voice of whoever was on the other end of the line. "Hang on a second." She pulled the phone away from her face and covered the mouthpiece with her hand.

"I'm gonna go take this in private, if you don't mind," she announced to her children.

Serena and Eric exchanged more meaningful glances this time, while Lily made her way toward the staircase.

"It's Rufus, isn't it?" Eric asked, knowingly.

"I'd bet money on it," Serena answered.

* * *

Dan and Nate were on the sidewalk outside of the condominium where the Van der Woodsens resided when Dan felt his phone vibrate. Pulling it out of his pocket, he was shocked to see the text was from Blair. She had been in his thoughts constantly, but he figured he'd be low down on her list of people she wanted to contact in this difficult time. He read the message quickly.

_Could you please come over sometime today? And bring a pregnancy test._

He did a double take. "A pregnancy test"? That wasn't very ambiguous. There was really only one thing this could mean. This whole time, Blair had not only been grieving the man she considered to be the love of her life, but she had also been carrying his child? _Well… it could be a false alarm,_ Dan realized. But Blair had actually been pregnant, just last year. _She'd know the difference between what being pregnant and not being pregnant felt like._ He was torn away from his thoughts by Nate.

"What is it?" he asked. "Someone text you?"

"Um… yeah," Dan answered. He wasn't sure how much to reveal to his friend, but decided to be mostly honest. "Blair… wants to talk to me," he elaborated.

Nate's eyebrows widened. "Blair hasn't been talking to _anyone_," he commented.

"I know," Dan replied. "Do you think you can handle…"

"…the thing with Lily?" Nate finished his sentence for him. "Yeah, man. I got it covered. You go help her with _whatever_ she needs." He too had been worrying about Blair.

"Thank you," Dan said. He turned around and started heading to the nearest drug store, which happened to be a Walgreens.

* * *

"I'm so sorry," Eric blurted out, his voice laced with tears that were scarily close to falling.

Serena was taken aback by his sudden and unexpected apology. "What in the world are you sorry for?" she asked incredulously. He almost sounded like he felt at fault for Chuck's death.

"I'm sorry I tried to kill myself seven years ago," he clarified.

Serena slowly closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then opened them again. "Eric…" she began, but she was abruptly interrupted.

"I _know_ I apologized before, and I know it's ancient history, but I still can feel a scar if I touch my wrist, and… I know what it means." He looked at his sister, emotion emanating from his eyes. "Death is heartbreaking for everyone who loved you." He clearly felt the words as he said them, his voice breaking as thoughts of Chuck entered both Eric and Serena's minds. "And I know that now. I know it in a way I really didn't appreciate back then. I had never lost someone close to me before. I had never even seen someone I loved lose someone they loved before."

Serena was having trouble keeping in _her_ tears now. "Eric, you don't have to-"

"I want to." He pressed on, "I love you so much, Serena, and I'm sorry for what you must have felt when you found out about my suicide attempt." A couple tears escaped from his left eye and trickled down his face.

She got up and wrapped him in a huge hug. "I love you too," she whispered, breathing in his scent as she squeezed him tighter. He squeezed back.

* * *

Dan saw the slightly ajar door to Blair's bedroom and tapped it lightly. "Dorota let me up here," he softly announced.

"Come in," she replied, just as softly. She had been sitting on the edge of her bed, staring absently toward her closet. She turned to face her doorway.

Dan moved the door just enough for him to be able to walk in. "How are you doing?" he asked with genuine concern.

Blair's eyes darted to the brown paper bag in his hand as she ignored his question. "So you got one for me?"

"Of course," Dan answered. He wasn't sure what else to say.

"Thank you." She hopped off her bed with a surprising lack of lethargy and snatched the bag from him. She proceeded into her bathroom.

"Um, Blair?" Dan asked, almost amused.

"Yes, Humphrey?" she called back through the now closed-behind-her bathroom door.

"Do you really want to do that with me standing right here?" He tried to ask it nicely, so of course his voice didn't quite accurately reflect just how uncomfortable he felt.

"I'm sure you've been in the next room when people have been in the bathroom before. Relax. I'll have three minutes to kill here. I figured maybe you had something interesting to say," she added. She looked at the instructions. There was a lot to make sure she did right, if she wanted the test to work. She had taken one of these things before, but it had been a slightly different brand and she was grateful the Brooklyn boy was taking his time thinking of something to say as she carefully read through the instructions. Keep the tip pointed down for the first step, lay it flat after that. Five seconds of urine on the stick, no more, no less. _Got it,_ she mentally confirmed to herself. She began the process right as Dan finally seemed to have thought of something to say.

"So um, Nate and I came up with a plan for… Bart," he hesitantly started to explain.

"Go on," she replied.

"I mean, it might not work, but we hope it will. Tomorrow at… the funeral, we want Lily to… upset him." Dan paused, worried that talking about Chuck's funeral… or Chuck's murderous father… or any of this would be exactly the opposite of what Blair wanted him to say to her.

"Humphrey," she said with an impatient tone, opening the door. She was just at the waiting stage for the test, at this point. "You don't have to tread on eggshells. I'm a big girl. This is important news. I want you to tell me."

Dan half-smiled, somewhat amused that she knew exactly what he'd been thinking.

"Okay. She'll… Lily will, I mean… well, if she agrees…" he trailed off, and then took a moment to gather his thoughts. He knew he needed to stop stuttering over his words. If he didn't, Blair – who was very likely pregnant right now, and therefore probably more on edge than usual - just might kill him. "We're hiding cameras in the Van der Woodsen penthouse today, while Bart's away at work. She'll also have audio recording devices hidden on her."

Still in the bathroom doorway, Blair looked at him intently and nodded slowly as he kept talking.

"We are prepared to capture potential evidence for hours, so if _at any point_ during the funeral, while he thinks he's alone with Lily, he incriminates himself, we will have hard evidence to present to the FBI. We have a few different ideas for how Lily can best incite him into a confession. We think he'd be most likely to reveal his capacity for evil if he finds himself in a position where he feels compelled to threaten to kill her too, _just like he killed Chuck_." Dan said that last part with a lot of emphasis, but then half-regretted bringing up Chuck at all. He worried about what might be running through Blair's mind.

She didn't seem fazed by any of his words, though. So Dan continued.

"He's hidden the physical evidence scarily well, so it seems that the only way we'll be able to get him behind bars is if we do it this way. It's not guaranteed to work, but we figure we ought to try it. And the funeral is a good time because… hopefully despite us trying to get Bart to feel incredibly enraged toward Lily… he wouldn't dare do anything when there are a bunch of people attending his son's funeral in the next room. She'd be safe because his fear of getting caught triumphs over everything else."

Blair took it all in. It was quite the plan.

"What do you think?" Dan asked her.

She looked down at the fancy watch her father had given her on a visit home. It was a beautiful, jeweled souvenir from Paris that she never wore - because when would it be fashionable, as a member of the female gender, to have a watch adorning her delicate wrist? Bracelets were acceptable, but in Blair's mind, in the current fashion climate, never watches. However, for this occasion, when she needed to keep track of the time temporarily, she figured it would be a good occasion to take the object out and put it to use.

"It's been three minutes," she said simply, not commenting on the plan at all.

Dan held his breath while Blair reentered the bathroom, leaving the door ajar, and took a look at the stick.

"I'm pregnant," she said calmly. She wasn't surprised. She had mainly only wanted to do the test for the benefit of Dan and everyone else in her life. She knew if she told people she was pregnant, the first thing they'd ask would be, "Did you take a test?", and if she dared admit the truth and tell them, "No", they wouldn't be sure she really was.

After a long pause, Dan carefully asked her a question. "How do you feel about that?"

She exited the bathroom and went back to sit on the edge of her bed. Dan looked at her sympathetically, and then stepped closer to her.

"May I…?" he asked softly, gesturing toward the bedspread.

She nodded. "Please. Sit," she said with a gentle smile.

He sat himself down beside her, and then waited for her to break the silence.

"I think your plan sounds worth trying," she finally said. "I'm glad you have some kind of plan." She didn't sound too hopeful that it would be successful.

Dan couldn't blame her. Hope was a pretty positive emotion, and positivity was difficult to hold onto at a time like this.

She lightly stroked the gift from her father that was still sitting on her wrist, feeling with only one fingertip the beauty in the object and thinking about the beautiful man it had come from. She loved her father. Dan loved his father. All children deserved fathers, if they could be so lucky as to have good, loving ones. Her baby already was fatherless. _Chuck would have been such a great dad. _The thought had crossed her mind countless times since she'd realized she'd missed her period._ He would have been the complete opposite of his own, horrible, father._

"I wish my baby didn't have to be fatherless," she said softly. "I wish Chuck hadn't been, either," she added.

"Yeah," Dan replied.

They turned to look at each other. Blair searched Dan's eyes for something… _anything_ to comfort her. The more she thought about her baby… and Chuck being gone… the more she felt broken, like she might never feel happiness again.

Dan picked up on what she was silently asking for. He wasn't sure how to help her. He doubted anything he could say would be good enough. But he knew he had to try.

"Your baby will have so much love in its life, Blair. You'll be the best mother ever, and the baby… won't be completely fatherless. He or she will hear stories about Chuck, not only from you… but from Nate, Serena… even me. They'll know they had a father."

Blair let a tear escape from her eye. She wiped it away hastily and smiled.

"Thank you," she replied. She knew Dan was right. And he had said _exactly_ what she'd needed to hear.


	4. The Eulogy

_**Author's Note: **__I'm sorry that it's been over a month since I last updated. Lots of other things were distracting me from writing. This fic has remained on my mind, though. ;) I will try my best to not wait nearly as long before posting chapter 5._

_Thank you to one of my betas, you-define-beauty, for coming back to help me with chapter 4 and helping me improve my writing. She also slowed down when this got posted by a few days too though, but it's not her fault – she was quite busy moving from New York to Germany and obviously she's amazing for finding time to be my beta despite all that._

_And to all of the people who dislike Chuck to any degree: _

_I am determined to have future chapters, including the next one (chapter 5), have less mentions of Chuck. He is dead and life will be going on. ;) I am still going to continue to write whatever feels natural to me, though, as I write my fic. I don't know exactly where it's headed. The only thing I can promise is that the ships in my story description will be the endgame ones in this fic. And a few other things are set in stone, but most of it is really fluid and I'm not always sure where the story is going. The funeral itself won't be dwelled upon, though. The funeral will be "unseen" between chapters 4 and 5 actually. This chapter is still leading up to it… and chapter 5 will pick up around the funeral's conclusion. I actually see no point in writing a chapter that includes the funeral itself. And because the funeral will be over, there will be a lot less need to dwell on Chuck's death._

_One last little note about the chapter below – I mention a certain private school that does exist in New York City on the Upper East Side. I may be taking some liberties with facts when I bring it up. Please let me slide on those, though. Thank you._

* * *

Chapter 4: "The Eulogy"

Nate emerged from Lily's bedroom and headed down the stairs in the penthouse apartment. Serena and Eric looked up from where they were seated on the couch, wondering what had transpired between the two of them.

"You were in there for a bit," Serena commented.

"Yeah. I needed to ask your mom to… do us a huge favor. Thankfully, she agreed to it."

"Us?" Eric asked.

"Dan and me," Nate clarified. "We came up with a plan."

"And it involves her?" Serena sounded concerned.

"Yeah," Nate answered, a little hesitantly. "She's… going to try to bait Bart into… um," he paused. "Threatening to kill her," he finished quickly.

"What?!" Serena and Eric both cried back in unison.

"Dan and I know it sounds scary. We would not be doing this if we had _any _other option."

"Nate, this is my _mother_," Serena said quietly, walking closer to him as she continued speaking. She turned to look at her brother. "Our mother." She turned back to face Nate. "You're asking her to _literally_ risk her life."

"I don't think so," Nate replied. He placed his hand on her shoulder. "Dan and I both would never let anything happen to Lily. We love her too, okay?"

Serena felt a tiny bit comforted. He seemed so sure.

"But what if he decides he truly _wants_ to _kill _her?" Eric asked, still sounding extremely worried. He too started approaching the two of them.

"That's why Lily will sleep at my place, if Bart doesn't get arrested immediately." He looked at Serena and waited for her to understand what exactly he was saying. He was saying that Lily would never have to sleep next to her psychotic husband again. He was also saying that she'd be sleeping in what had been Chuck's bed. She let it all sink in.

"But what if he kills her instead of threatening her?" Eric asked, still terrified by all the possibilities of what could go wrong.

"Well, first off," Nate started to reply, "Bart seems to like to distance himself from a murder, from what we can tell. He doesn't kill with his own two hands. He is really good at not getting caught for a reason."

"But what if you're wrong," Eric pressed on, "and he does, this time, kill her immediately?"

"Well, that's why we're having Lily provoke him during Chuck's funeral tomorrow."

"What?" Serena was shocked. Couldn't they all just say goodbye to Chuck, and save any crazy schemes for another day? She knew her mother was hurting terribly over Chuck's death too. This sounded like an awful time to do anything. If nothing else, it would take away from her mother's chance to properly use the funeral to pay her respects.

"It seems like the safest time," Nate explained. "There will be a lot of people here, and he can't possibly think he can get away with murder with an apartment full of people, most of whom he knows personally, one room away."

Eric and Serena exchanged an uneasy glance.

"She agreed to this plan?" Eric asked.

Nate nodded. "She did."

"I guess if she's okay with it, we can try to be too," Serena begrudgingly said in acceptance.

* * *

The next morning, a few hours before the funeral, Blair found herself still sitting on her bed staring at her laptop screen, putting the final touches on the eulogy. Various people had kindly told her that if she'd found it too difficult to write, someone else like Nate or Lily would have been able to do the job. However, Blair had insisted on doing it. It was important to her that she be able to do this important thing to honor Chuck's life one last time in front of everyone at his funeral.

Still, as she gazed upon the words on the virtual page, she found herself wishing she was more of a writer. Dan had such a way with words, to which his published novel attested, but she wasn't exactly a natural. She'd always gotten good grades in school, but that was all because she technically could write correctly with proper spelling and grammar.

She was trying to write a beautiful and poetic summary of Chuck's life now, something that would properly convey just how much he had accomplished in his short twenty-two years on this planet and perhaps even be comforting to all of the people who had loved him. She knew she couldn't possibly summarize his entire life, and had looked up some eulogy tips online that had encouraged her to just touch on a single personal story, a moment that epitomized the best in him.

She found herself, time and again, glancing toward her phone, so very close to texting Dan and asking him to help her. But Dan didn't know Chuck the way she did. Dan didn't love Chuck. She knew it would be best if this came entirely from her own heart and soul. So she resisted the temptation and continued to try to write a moving farewell.

* * *

Dan put on his suit and heard his father moving around in their apartment too. He looked out to see his dad dressed for the occasion as well.

"You're coming to the funeral?" he asked in surprise. He was pretty sure his father barely knew who Chuck was.

"Lily wants me to be there," he answered simply. Dan found this a little surprising. He was, however, glad his dad and Lily were apparently back to being friends who actually are comforted by each other's presence.

Dan continued to adjust his tie in the bathroom mirror.

"Besides," Rufus added, "your sister will be here any minute now, and I want to spend as much time with her as I can while she's here, even if that means accompanying her to a funeral."

Dan nodded, understanding.

He had found it extremely odd that Jenny wanted to attend the funeral of the man who had once tried to rape her. She'd clearly regretted losing her virginity to him a few years later as well. But after talking to his sister on the phone a few days prior, he felt he understood her a bit better.

Chuck would always be a big part of her past, whether good or bad, and so she wanted to be there for his funeral. He had shaped her life in some significant ways. Besides, she did feel a lot of friendship toward most of the people mourning him. While things between her and Blair were still strained, to say the least, she was closer than ever with Eric. She also cared deeply about Nate, even if they didn't talk much anymore. Plus, Lily had, on a few occasions, been a great stepmother to her when she'd needed it.

Dan shifted his thoughts back toward more pressing matters. Blair was pregnant with Chuck's baby, and he was the only one who knew. He wondered if this would affect Blair's behavior in any way today at the funeral. He hoped she'd be okay reading the eulogy. He wondered what she had written.

There was also, of course, the matter of Lily. He glanced nervously toward his father, who was walking toward their kitchen area now. Dan hadn't told Rufus about their plan, yet. He didn't want his father to interfere. While understandable and possibly even noble, if he was too concerned for Lily's well-being, he might ruin everything.

* * *

Nate felt particularly lonely that morning in his empty apartment. Usually he tried to remain numb, and suppress any memories being there might summon. He also had been getting in the habit of spending as little time there as possible. Keeping busy elsewhere had been easy enough. But today was going to be Chuck's funeral, so he let his best friend be on his mind. He had nowhere else to be until ten a.m. anyway, but he had woken up at eight, so he had to kill a couple hours. He slowly got dressed, remembering the time when he and Chuck were preparing for an elementary school graduation together.

Nate's mom had kindly been motherly toward Chuck, and had taken both boys shopping for new clothes in honor of the special occasion. The eleven-year-old Chuck had picked out a bright green bow tie to wear, while Nate had opted for a more traditional, dark blue necktie. He realized Chuck had died at age twenty-two, meaning his life had already been half over back then. He wondered if any of the old Archibald family albums contained any photographs of Chuck from that final day they spent at Allen-Stevenson School, an all-boys private institution.

Nate dressed, today, in a simple black suit with a white shirt. He then looked through his choices of ties. He didn't have much in terms of "fun" choices. He kind of wished he could wear something on the flamboyant side, in order to honor the bright and bold fashion choices Chuck always made. He settled on a simple black tie, though, and moved on to eat something for breakfast.

He poured himself some cereal and remembered how Chuck rarely ate breakfast at all, although there had been many hangover remedies concocted on early mornings after some very late nights. The absurdity of some of these recipes – Gatorade mixed with blended donuts was one ridiculous example – brought a small smile to Nate's face as he reminisced. He tried to ignore the crushing feeling of sadness that came soon after the brief happiness. He focused on the crunchy sound and nice flavor of his cereal as he took a few more bites.

Downstairs, Blair arrived at the building and was instantly recognized by the security guard, so of course was let into the lobby area. She was already dressed for the funeral, and had been for hours. Her tasteful black outfit contrasted with the bright white of her laptop case, which she was carrying as she headed toward the elevator.

It was hard for Blair to think of this as Nate's place. So many times, this journey had been her visiting Chuck. While riding the elevator, one particular memory hit her hard. That time she came to inform Chuck that she was pregnant.

She remembered the look on his face. They had been in such a strained place then. He had been so hurt by her relationship with Louis. She was glad she had told Chuck that a part of her had wished the child had been his.

She and Chuck had gotten to a much happier place since then. It had taken some separation and heartache first, but this past year, they had rekindled their love for one another. She desperately wished this elevator ride could be to tell Chuck truly happy news. That she was going to have his baby, and that no longer just a part but rather her whole self was now so grateful the child was his.

But alas, it wasn't happy news. Chuck wouldn't be there when the elevator doors opened. Only an apartment where he used to live, and Blair's first love, Nate, would be there when she arrived. The doors parted, and Blair lightly stepped out, knowing she was dropping by unexpectedly and not wanting to startle her friend with too sudden of an appearance.

"Nate?" she called out quietly.

He jumped a little in surprise, clutching his spoon tighter. He looked over and saw Blair slowly approaching. He hadn't actually seen her since he and Blair had both first heard the news that Chuck had died. She'd been hiding from the world, although he knew Dan had gone to see her.

"What are you doing here?" he asked softly, his tone expressing bewilderment more than anything.

She smiled meekly.

He placed his spoon back into the bowl of milk and took the chance to really look at her. She was very dressed up and looked really lovely. He was about to compliment her appearance when she finally responded.

"I came to ask you a favor," she explained.

He waited for her to continue.

She looked down toward the white laptop case in her hands.

"I was writing the eulogy."

"Oh," he replied, understanding beginning to dawn on him.

"Yeah." She came over to the counter where he was seated and sat herself beside him.

"I was looking up tips online," she continued, "and everyone says you should have a friend look it over before you read it at the funeral."

Nate nodded. "So you want me to look at it?"

Blair had considered both Dan and Serena, or even her own mother, but when it came to the first person to see the eulogy she'd written for Chuck, she just knew it needed to be Nate.

"Could you?" she asked him. She started to pull the laptop out of its case. "I didn't print it yet, because I wasn't sure how much you'd think needed to be changed."

Nate waited patiently while she got to the correct document and set it up for him.

She handed him the laptop. He started reading silently to himself. She waited patiently for him to get through it.

While she waited, she found herself looking around the apartment. What came to her were more than just memories of Chuck. She could feel how he'd lived here. It was almost as if he'd left some tangible mark in the air. And there was the whole place's decorating scheme, and little things here and there were left behind: reminders of exactly who Chuck had been and how he had lived his life.

She missed him, of course, but being here was comforting in a way she hadn't been expecting. It was almost like Chuck wasn't quite as gone as she had been afraid he was.

She turned back and saw Nate hastily wiping a tear off his face. She smiled, assuming this probably meant her eulogy was at least moving him. Maybe it would stir some emotions in the other people attending the funeral as well. Blair remained quiet, as Nate appeared to still be reading it.

After another minute or so, Nate turned to look up at Blair.

"You're really… pregnant?" he breathed. Blair nodded. She had wanted to reveal her pregnancy - Chuck's child's existence - today at the funeral. She wasn't sure she should though. She needed Nate's opinion on how it worked into the end of the eulogy. Was it too selfish to include? She actually worried not sharing it would be selfish too, and she didn't want to be selfish at all today, however much people might tell her she had the right to be. She wanted to honor Chuck in the best way possible, and for the day to be all about him if possible. Still, she worried about the way she'd worded the announcement. Did it ruin the feel of it? Should she leave it out completely?

All of these unvoiced concerns were at the forefront of her thoughts, but before vocalizing any of them, she took a moment to look at Nate and try to gauge what he was thinking and feeling. He smiled at her, a few more tears escaping from his eyes.

He moved his hand up toward his face to once again wipe them away, and then he responded to what he'd just read.

"Blair, I'm so happy for you. I'm… happy for Chuck too, if that makes sense. And about the eulogy…" he trailed off for a second, keeping eye contact with Blair and carefully steadying his voice. Taking a deep breath, he continued. "It's breathtakingly beautiful. Everyone will be moved to tears."

"Really?" Blair breathed.

"Really," he assured her.

They smiled at each other, and then went to hook up her laptop to Nate's printer. They were now fully prepared for the funeral. Fully prepared to say their goodbyes to Charles Bass.


	5. Murderer

_**Author's Note: **__It took me almost a month to get this next update up, I know. At least I was a tiny bit faster this time, lol. I'll consistently try my best to be quicker about updating, but I'm really bad at it, as you must have determined by now._

_Thank you again to you-define-beauty for being my beta._

* * *

Chapter 5: "Murderer"

Lily glanced nervously toward Bart, who was at the other side of the room, as he politely accepted many of his acquaintances' condolences. The burial had taken place that morning, and Blair's eulogy had not left a dry eye in the house, just as Nate had predicted. The funeral was still going strong, with only two guests having left to go home at this point. People were eating the food that was served and trying their best not to enjoy it too much. Memories about Chuck were being exchanged in various short stories people were telling each other, and even Jenny had found something positive and humorous from Chuck's life to relay to Eric, which had cheered him up a bit. Serena found herself sadder than ever, but at the same time she was happy for Blair about her pregnancy. Serena was trying to make small talk with Dan as a way to pass the time, but Dan kept looking over at Blair, concern for her wellbeing completely taking over his thoughts.

Blair was trying hard to stay strong, but the pity in everyone's eyes as they looked at her was making it quite difficult. She wasn't sure how much longer they could keep treating her like the most fragile object around without her actually breaking the way they all expected. Now that they all knew she was carrying Chuck's child, they were especially difficult to deal with as they approached her to offer their sympathies, and she looked over at Dan, hoping he might save her from having to hear another person be_ so_ sorry for her loss.

Dan would have noticed Blair's silent plea from across the room had his father not just then, at the same moment, wandered over near Lily. Dan was a little worried Lily might reveal the plan to him. He eyed them carefully.

"How are you holding up?" Rufus asked her kindly. He couldn't help but notice her staring at Bart.

"I'm okay. I mean, considering…" Lily replied, trailing off. She looked up at him and smiled. "Thanks for coming, by the way."

"Of course," he replied. They stood there, not saying anything, for a minute or two. Neither one was really sure what to say to the other. Rufus continued to notice how Lily couldn't keep her eyes off her husband for more than a few seconds at a time. Bart was still oblivious to the fact that he was the object of such glances.

"Is there something on your mind?" Rufus asked, gently.

"I'm sorry?" She turned to look at him, a little surprised by the question. "Um… not really," she lied.

"Are you sure?" He tried to make it clear that she could open up to him, if she wanted.

She looked at him, so tempted to tell him the plan. But she, like Dan, was afraid Rufus would stop her if he knew. So she kept her mouth shut.

"I just can't believe he's gone," she said, her voice almost breaking. She was moving the topic back to Chuck, as was only appropriate.

Rufus opened his arms and leaned in to hug her. He pulled her close, comforting her the best way he knew how.

Bart broke away from the funeral attendees and started heading for Lily. Nate, who had been sitting in a sad silence along with Eric and Jenny, noticed the scary side of Bart showing through as jealousy shone in his eyes. He was a little worried Eric had been right, and this plan that he had talked Lily into was too dangerous. But it was all they had, and Nate needed justice for Chuck so badly. So he watched closely to see if Lily would take this opportunity to get Bart alone. She was already all wired up with microphones. Now would be the perfect time.

"Could I have a moment with my wife?" Bart asked coldly, enough forced politeness in his tone to prevent anyone nearby by noticing just how angry he really was. Rufus quickly stopped hugging her, but didn't back away at all, torn between letting her go and shielding her from this monstrous man. Could he really have murdered his own son? Rufus thought about how much he loved both of his children. He could not imagine the grief he'd feel if something happened to Dan or Jenny, let alone could he begin to imagine actually being the cause of their deaths.

Lily pulled herself away from Rufus, however.

"Sure," she replied to Bart, also forcing politeness in her tone.

Bart pulled her aside to a relatively deserted corner of the room. Lily knew now was her chance.

Serena, Dan, Nate, Eric, and Blair all noticed what was happening.

"What are you guys looking at?" Jenny asked the two guys she was with.

"My mom," Eric answered. Jenny was a little confused, but also turned her attention toward Bart and Lily.

No one could hear what Lily and Bart were saying, but it was clear to the kids who were all watching them, and to Rufus who was staring over at them with concern as well, that they were getting into a fight. A very quiet fight, but a fight nonetheless. Not one of the guests standing around and chatting softly noticed, though.

Bart was upset with Lily letting Rufus hug her, given their romantic history and that this was a public event for _his_ son, and his own wife should be by his side, not her ex-lover's. Lily was getting him all upset and defensive by bringing up that he wasn't even doing a good job of _acting_ sad that his only child was dead. She then decided the best way to provoke Bart into a murderous threat would be to bring up the idea of her leaving him for Rufus and threatening to expose his dark secrets in the same breath. In a shouted whisper, Lily decided to go for it.

"I think I should leave you, today on the day of your own son's funeral, and take Rufus back! And then I should let myself be interviewed and I'll explain how we all know you murdered your own son, and only because he wanted to expose your illegal oil deals to the FBI!"

Bart was taken aback by this. Glancing nervously around and seemingly satisfied that no one had heard her, he growled through his teeth, "You won't do that. I won't let you."

"How? Will you murder me too? Just like you murdered Chuck? Because that's the only way you can keep me quiet."

They were already very close to each other, but Bart took another step closer, and grabbed her arm violently, squeezing it so hard she instantly knew it would leave a bruise.

"Yes," he hissed. "If I have to, I will."

"So you did kill Chuck?" Lily breathed, acting surprised and terrified. The terror wasn't really an act. "Are you really… capable of murder?"

"I know who to hire to get it done, yes," he answered menacingly, still whispering. Lily was so grateful he wasn't denying it. But with his hand still gripping her forearm far too tightly, Rufus started walking quickly toward them, ready to rescue the woman he loved from what he was pretty sure would qualify as domestic violence. Dan noticed this and started to rush over, hoping to stop his dad. Rufus was too fast, though, and interrupted Bart and Lily.

"What is going on here?" he asked harshly, and a little too loudly. A few people turned to see the confrontation between Lily and her two men.

"Nothing," Bart said quickly and quietly, letting go of his wife's arm. "Nothing that concerns you," he elaborated, staring Rufus straight in the eye.

"I'm thirsty. I'm going to go fetch a glass of something," Lily announced awkwardly to both of them, ignoring everything and finding a way to escape the situation.

"If you ever touch her again," Rufus started to threaten, but Dan stopped him.

"Dad."

Rufus turned to look at his son.

"What?"

"Come here," he said, gesturing for his father to come away from Bart. "There's something I probably should have told you." He looked over at his sister. "Jenny probably doesn't know yet either. Let me tell you both together." Rufus glanced back toward Bart and was confused, but went along with his son toward his daughter.

* * *

An hour later, the funeral was very close to over. Most guests had gone home, although there were a few people still around. Even Jenny had left with Eric, both of them wanting to take advantage of this rare occasion to see one another. At this point, Rufus was annoyed as hell to have not been told by either his own son or Lily herself about the insane plan they'd come up with, but he'd also found out directly from Lily that it had been successful, so he couldn't be too mad. Nate and Serena decided the funeral had died down enough and decided now would be a good time to leave together to turn in the recorded admission from Bart to the police. They had not wanted to leave the funeral too soon, since they were closer to Chuck than anyone, but they did want to try to get Bart arrested as soon as possible. They had footage from hidden cameras as well as what had been recorded on Lily's body, and Bart remained oblivious to everything that was happening as they left with the incriminating evidence.

Dan headed over to Blair to let her know what was going on with the Bart situation and why Nate and Serena were leaving before the funeral had even concluded. Blair had been so busy over the course of the entire funeral that Dan hadn't even gotten a chance to talk to her, other than a brief compliment in passing to the eulogy, which he had been honestly impressed with. He would have complimented her outfit, too, as she looked stunning, but he felt it might be inappropriate given the occasion, and so he avoided bringing it up. Now, though, Blair was sitting, finally alone, and Dan sat beside her and updated her on all of the details.

"I can't believe it," Blair breathed. Dan looked at her with curiosity.

"What can't you believe?" he asked softly.

"I can't believe Bart really did it, and he admitted to it," she whispered. No one else had been very surprised, but Blair seemed utterly shocked.

"I thought… you suspected him, too," Dan carefully and slowly replied.

"I did. But… now, it's so real. And I can't believe it."

She looked up at him, so much vulnerability showing on her face.

"How could he do it?" she asked quietly, tears welling up in her eyes.

Dan wished so desperately that he had an answer for her.

"I don't know," he replied.

For the first time the whole day, Blair decided to actually let herself cry. At first there were only silent tears running down her face, and Dan didn't even notice right away. When he did, his heart broke for her.

"It's okay," he muttered, both of them knowing these meaningless words of comfort were so untrue. There was nothing remotely okay about Bart Bass being so evil as to murder his own son.

Blair started sobbing harder, and she pushed her face onto Dan's chest, her tears soaking through his shirt. He moved his arms up to hold her tight. He wanted to be able to make this better for her, but there was absolutely nothing he could do, so he kept squeezing her, hoping the physical touch would comfort her at least a little.

They weren't sure how much time had passed, but eventually, police officers arrived with Serena and Nate escorting them. They were ready to take the murderer away in handcuffs. It was all so surreal, and Blair stopped crying as she watched the scene unfold. The shock on Bart's face turned to utter contempt, mainly directed at Lily.

"You lying whore," he said harshly, straight to her. Lily was taken aback, still afraid of him even as the officers had him in their arms. Serena ran over to her mother and hugged her, so grateful Bart was gone and her mother was now safe, while Rufus, Dan, Blair, and Nate all kept their eyes on Bart until the elevator doors closed and he was completely out of sight.


End file.
